1. Field of the Invention
The invention in general relates to computer systems utilized in practicing and teaching sports, and more particularly to a system that assists a sport participant in making judgements, permits practicing judgement used in a sport during leisure time, and provides coaching while playing a sport or while practicing.
2. Statement of the Problem
It is well-known that computers can be programmed to play board games such as chess or checkers. Such games lend themselves to being played by a computer because such games, while played on a two dimensional board, are essentially unidimensional. That is, each move involves only one of a limited number of available moves. Computers have also been used to assist in the playing of sports almost since they were created. For example, computers are used in golf for providing information useful to a golfer, such as tracking location and providing the distance from a pin, keeping track of statistics on shots of particular players, and for providing temperature and weather information. Such systems have also been used to assist in making club selection based on the remaining distance to the pin and past performance, i.e., the distance an individual golfer hits the ball with a given club. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,680 issued to Lobb et al. on Sep. 22, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,786 issued to Douglas P. Dudley on Nov. 11, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,485 issued to Donald Fisher on Apr. 6, 1996. Club selection, like a move in a board game, is an essentially unidimensional action, since only one of a limited number of alternatives is selected. As indicated above, in prior art golf computer systems club selection is based on one playing factor, i.e., the distance remaining to the pin. In fact, cards or other printed materials which enable a player to select the proper club if the distance to the pin and the average distance each player hits each club are known, have been available to golfers since long before computers were available.
Other computerized golf systems project a picture of a golf course in a driving range type environment, which is supposed to simulate playing on well-known courses. However, since the place from which the ball is hit is always the same, such systems do not simulate actual play any more than a driving range does, and, at most, provide an interesting environment in which to practice golf shots. There are also computerized “simulated” golf games, football games, baseball games etc. on the market, in which the “player” uses a joystick like device to “drive” a simulated golf ball along a simulated golf course displayed on a computer screen, move “football players on a simulated football field displayed on a computer screen, “swing a bat”, “run bases”, and “catch a “ball” on a simulated baseball diamond, etc. Such “games” have little to do with the actual sport that is “simulated”, since the physical movements used in manipulating a joy stick have no relation to the physical movements of swinging a golf club, throwing a football, hitting a baseball etc. And since the physical situation is very much different than the actual sport, judgements uses in playing such games can actually teach away from appropriate athletic skills.
Thus, although computers have been available and used in athletic sport environments for nearly a generation and the numbers of participants in athletic sports, such as golf and tennis, have grown greatly in that generation, computers have yet to be utilized in a manner that facilitates the learning and playing of an athletic sport beyond what is available without computers.
3. Solution to the Problem
The invention solves the above problem by recognizing that every athletic sport includes both a physical coordination aspect and a judgmental, or mental aspect. It recognizes further that each aspect can best be learned only by performing that aspect.
The invention solves the above problem by not attempting to simulate the physical coordination aspects of a sport, since these can best be learned by actually performing the sport. However, the invention recognizes that the mental aspect of many sports can be isolated from the physical coordination aspect and practiced separately. The invention recognizes further, that while the physical coordination aspect of a sport can be practiced best only with the full accouterments of the sport, the mental aspects primarily involve judgements that can be practiced effectively in compact and efficient settings.
The invention provides a system for isolating the mental aspect of an athletic sport from the physical aspect so that the mental aspect can be practiced when the full physical accouterments of the sport are not available.
The invention provides a compact system for advising and instructing a player of a sport in the judgement aspects of the sport.
The invention also provides a compact system with which a player of a sport can receive advice and instruction on the judgement aspects of the sport from an expert in the sport.
The system solves the above problems by analyzing an athletic sport into: a plurality of discrete physical factors that together describe a real or hypothetical situation that may arise in the sport; and a plurality of discrete actions that together describe an appropriate response to the real or hypothetical situation. It is important that the physical factors and actions be discrete, at least at some level.
The system provides a screen that either presents a set of physical factors that describe a hypothetical situation or allows the player to enter a set of physical factors that describe a real situation in the sport. The player can enter a set of actions responsive to the physical factors, which actions together describe a trial response to the situation. The system presents a set of actions that together describe an appropriate or expert response to the situation.
Prior to using the system, the player can enter personal data regarding the player. The system will then adjust the appropriate response to the player. For example, if the sport is golf, in deep rough, the system will suggest one type of shot for a large, strong, and aggressive player and another type of shot for a diminutive player. The player can also chose to have the system provide advice that will result in the lowest score over the short term, i.e., adjust for the abilities of the player, or provide advice that will force the player to learn and improve in his or her ability in the sport. For example, if the sport is golf and the player consistently slices with a particular club that is appropriate for a shot, the system will suggest aiming to the right (for a right handed player) if the system is set to optimize the short-term score, but will suggest a proper grip and stance that should be learned to avoid a slice if the system is set for player to learn and improve.
The user can compare his or her response to the suggested response of the system and thus learn appropriate responses. If the player desires, the player can select one or more well-known experts or pros and the system will provide the responses these one or more experts would make to the situation. The player's choice of expert can be different for different areas of the sport. For example, if the sport is golf, an expert that is particularly good in the short game can be selected for the shorter range shots, and an expert that is good at hitting fairways can be selected for longer range shots. The player can interact with the system or an expert or pro to discuss the difference between the player's trial response and the expert's response and/or to have the system or expert explain particular actions that the system or expert suggested.
The system also can provide an expert on-line to review the player's responses and/or to respond to questions of the player about particular actions.
The system also provides pictures and/or video's that illustrate a particular suggested action. The player can zoom in on various portions of the picture and/or video that the player desires to examine more closely. For example, by selecting a discrete action called “stance”, the player can zoom in on the feet of an expert golfer demonstrating a pitch shot to examine the expert's stance during this shot. By selecting different experts from a pull-down menu, the player can do this with several experts to compare the expert's stances for this shot.
The player can customize the system by entering the player's own tips and reminders for each physical factor, each general action, specific physical factors specific actions, and combinations thereof.
The computerized system according to the invention not only provides a system that can be utilized on a computer when not actually participating in a sport to practice judgmental aspects of the sport, and can be utilized in teaching the sport in an instructional setting, but also can be used while participating in the sport to assist in making judgements as to what actions should be taken. For example, an embodiment of the system specialized for the game of golf, can be used when not actually on the golf course to practice club selection, shot selection, swing selection and other golfing judgements, can be utilized in teaching the game of golf in an instructional setting, and also can be used on the golf course to assist in making judgments as to what golfing actions should be taken. Numerous other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.